Sunday, December 15, 2013

gratitude day 3: compassionate care

i missed yesterday's gratitude post because when i came home from my doula gig at a 24-hour birth, i sat down to a delicious dinner dan made for me and then went straight to bed. yesterday's experience leads me to mentioning many things i'm grateful for.i'm grateful for natural childbirth and those who support it. i'm grateful for medical interventions when they are absolutely necessary. i'm grateful for choice and informed consent. i'm grateful for midwives, their assistants, doulas, acupuncturists, chiropractors, herbalists, naturopaths, and massage therapists. i'm grateful for nurses, doctor's, surgeons, anesthesiologists, physical therapists, and counselors. i'm grateful for accessible and affordable (if not free) health care for all. i'm grateful for warm, clean, and functional healing environments. i'm grateful for loving life partners.

i'm sure i've missed a few several things here, but what it really comes down to is that i am grateful for compassionate care.

it is a practice i certainly need help with: empathizing rather than judging.

children raised with compassion feel understood. medical treatment is missing a vital component if it does not include compassion. underserved populations may feel less marginalized if treated with compassion. babies whose needs are met with compassion feel far more secure. peace on earth is impossible without compassion.

1 comment:

“Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection - or compassionate action.” ― Daniel Goleman, Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships